Bonds that Tie
by vbollman
Summary: starts before Harry's 7th year. Saving the mind of a Death Eaters causes more problems then they first thought. Slash
1. Disclaimer

Blanket Disclaimer.

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Thanks to Kei and Sandra for their betaing Job...

Thank you.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Thrashing himself awake from another Voldemort-induced vision, Harry tried desperately to gather his shattered thoughts and remember where he was. When he finally remembered that he had been removed from his aunt and uncle's early that summer and relocated to Grimmauld place, (despite it being the last place he wanted to be) he allowed his body to relax and thanked Merlin that he did not need to put up with another of his uncle's hissy fits over being woken up in the middle of the night from one of Harry's many nightmares.

Reaching over to the potions waiting on his nightstand, he quickly downed a pain reliever, post-Cruciatus and a muscle relaxant, and let them do their work for a few minutes before attempting to move out of his bed. When he did manage to make it onto his feet, although rather shakily, he gathered the rest of the potions and made his unsteady way down the stairs to the kitchen, using the wall for support. He knew that no matter what spells those participating in the meeting in progress used, he would be able to get past the wards.

Pausing briefly to steady himself, he placed his hand on the heavy kitchen door and felt the wards surrounding the room recognize him and allow him access; pushing open the door, he walked into a full meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Ignoring the shocked looks and scowls of outraged directed his way, he dropped his aching body into the only available spot, right between two bodies clad in black Death Eater robes.

"Ah Harry my boy, good to see you," Dumbledore said with a smile and a bright twinkle in his eyes, before turning back to the discussion on hand. "Continue if you will Severus, you were saying Voldemort has something planned?"

With a dark sidelong look at the teen beside him, the Order's spy ground out, "Yes Albus he does. Unfortunately, he would not tell us anything more than that it would be sometime in the next week."

"Very well. We will of course keep our eyes and ears open for more information. Now Harry, what brings you down here?"

Harry sat back in his seat, hiding a wince of pain, and pondered his options for a moment, before giving the Headmaster a small smug smile, knowing exactly what reaction he would get. "I have finally decided that I would like to invite the DA and those Aurors I know to spend my birthday in Hogsmeade with me," he said at last.

As predicted the room turned into a screaming match as every one tried to be heard. The only ones that were not affected by this announcement were the Headmaster and Severus Snape, who just glared at the teen and growled. Harry, for his part, just continued to smile smugly.

When the room finally quieted down, Lucius Malfoy finally made himself heard. "We risk ourselves on a daily basis to bring back information, in order to keep you safe, and all you want to do is to plan a party?" he growled and raised his cane in threat.

Harry carefully blocked his uneasiness at the sight of that cane, before turning to the furious man on his left and raised an eyebrow before drawling slowly, "You must not have been listening Mr. Malfoy. I invited the DA and those Aurors I know, who just happen to belong to the Order, to spend my birthday which is in the next week, to Hogsmeade. You'll notice I'm sure, that I never once invited my friends to join me here for a party."

Snape was the first to put the pieces together, and stopped glaring at the teen. "Are you sure about this information, Mr. Potter?"

Harry snorted lightly, and instantly regretted the action as his head started to pound once again. "Of course I am, Sir. Just because the two of you left doesn't mean the meeting was over."

These words silenced everyone in the room, much to the confusion of one Lucius Malfoy, so that when, with a slight wave of his hand, Dumbledore closed the meeting and dismissed everyone, they all left, leaving the four of them alone.

Malfoy stared at Albus, Severus and Harry in disbelief before turning away in disgust. As soon as the wards snapped back into place after the last Order member left, Harry sagged in his chair in relief and with a flick of his hand, dropped the invisibility charm on the potions and split them between the two men, only keeping a pain potion for himself. Seeing the look on Snape's face, Harry scowled, "Swallow your damn Slytherin pride, and take the potions before I tell Madam Pomfrey exactly what you were both hit with tonight."

Malfoy spun back around leaning on the table so he was nose to nose with The-Boy-Who-Lived and gave him a very cold steel covered glare. "And how, Mr. Potter, would you know what we went through?" he sneered, ignoring Snape, who was trying to get his attention.

Harry stared silently at the man before turning to the Headmaster with a question in his eyes. Dumbledore thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "Not tonight Harry. All three of you need to heal, and get some sleep. Lucius, rest assured that Harry knows what's going on and it will be explained to you later. Severus I do believe Harry could use some Dreamless Sleep," he said and, before anyone could protest, he stood and headed for the door. "Harry, please take down your wards and show these two to a room; they WILL be staying here tonight."

Dissolving the wards enough for the man to leave, Harry glared at Dumbledore's back, before he dropped his head against the table top and sighed heavily. "I hate it when he does that," Harry groaned.

"That makes two of us, Mr. Potter," Snape finally said as he reached for the first of the potions, and noticed that Lucius followed his lead. "Are you intending on using Dreamless Sleep for the rest of the night?" he asked.

Harry glared at the man, before swallowing his own potion. "I can't and you know it," he replied before asking his own question. "Do you want one room or two?"

Falling into the habit that started just after the boys fifth year, of asking and answering questions Snape replied, "One." Looking over at Lucius from the corner of his eye, he started to ask "How..." but was cut of by Lucius when he asked his own question.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" he snarled.

Harry contemplated the man for a moment, debating with himself on whether it would be worth telling the man what he wanted to know when the Headmaster said to wait until later. 'Well it is later. Just not as late at the old coot wanted,' Harry thought to himself before answering. "Through my connection to Riddle, I see the meetings that he calls, along with pretty much everything else, when his emotions run high. It was through this connection that we were able to get the information needed to get your son to a safe place. Unfortunately he now believes there is a spy in his ranks, which is why he's only going to let a few people at a time now of his plans, so he can figure out who it is. Snape is safe because he didn't know about Draco, and after my birthday you both should be even safer, as he does not intend to tell you what's going on until he Calls the two of you before attacking. He doesn't realize that he himself is the spy since I can get his surface thoughts while I'm in his mind." Here Harry allowed himself a vicious smile before continuing.

"The only real draw back we have been able to find is the pain I go through. When Riddle designed those Marks of his, he made sure that there was a way for him to feel a portion of the pain his servants go through. And since I feel what he feels, I feel that part of any of the curses he hits his 'servants' with. I also feel every Dark Magic spell that he casts as if it was being cast on me." Harry had dropped his eyes, but here he raised them to meet Lucius Malfoy's stormy grey eyes. "Do you remember how much pain I was in when he touched me in the graveyard the night he was reborn?" When Malfoy nodded, Harry continued. "Whenever I am in his mind, the connection between us burns twice as bad as it did that night. That in itself is about equal to the Cruciatus curse. By the time I am released from the connection, I can honestly say that I might as well have been tortured in his presence."

Here Severus broke into the conversation. "Those of us who know what's going on are extremely thankful that these visions do not happen that often anymore."

"Indeed," Harry said tiredly.

Lucius didn't look convinced. "Then why do you go into his mind?" he sneered.

"I don't have a choice. Because of this fucking scar I have no defense against him drawing me in. And before you ask Occlumency does not work. Trust me I spent all of last year having my shields tested every time I turned around," Harry snarled back.

"Then whoever was testing them must not have been that good at it."

Harry groaned in dismay and looked over at Snape, who was scowling darkly at the blond. "Why is he being so difficult?" he questioned.

Snape relaxed slightly as he thought. "He misses his son and no one will give him information regarding him. As for your Occlumency shields, let him test them. Just remember what you did to both myself and the Headmaster. Then maybe we get back to our question period, since I'm sure none of us will sleep for the rest of the night."

Nodding his agreement Harry turned back to a gob-smacked Lucius Malfoy and motioned for the man to go ahead and test his shields.

Shaking off the feeling that he had just made a major mistake Lucius looked Harry in the eye and silently cast the required spell. Moments later he found himself in a shaded glade with a shallow pool of water complete with a small waterfall, which added the soothing sound of falling water. The light fragrance of lavender surrounded him and against his will he started to relax. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, drinking in the smell and sounds around him, but soon enough he was interrupted by a soft clearing of a throat, and turned slowly to meet the bright green eyes of the Boy Who Lived.

"It's safe to sit down Mr. Malfoy. You'll find that the moss by the pool is soft enough to serve as a seat," Harry said softly as he walked by the man to take his own advice.

"What is going on Mr. Potter?" Lucius asked in bewilderment.

"You tried to force your way into my mind, and this is what happens when I'm not actually fighting the intrusion. I put you in a secure location that only allows you to see, feel, taste, hear and smell what I want you to."

Sitting down gracefully beside Harry, Lucius asked, "What did Severus mean when he said to remember what you did to him and Albus?"

Harry smiled softly as he stared into the pool. "Before the end of last term, I went up and demanded to be removed from the Dursleys early. The Headmaster gave me the usual song and dance about having to stay where it was safe, and then he decided it was a good idea to try and test my barriers. At that point I was sick of the constant headaches from having my mind invaded, and angry that I was once again told that I had to spend the summer in the loving embrace of my family. I decided at the point that enough was enough, and pulled him into my mind and gave him the same verbal treatment that I received from my family, only I used his lemon drops instead of people. Being surrounded completely by your favorite candy, calling you worthless and a freak amongst other things, kinda changed his mind about leaving me there for so long. It also had the added bonus of turning him off of lemon drops for a few weeks."

"And Severus?" came the soft question.

"Professor Snape got exactly what he wanted. The chance to tell my father exactly what he wanted the man to know. Unfortunately since my father is no longer alive, he found me a good substitute. When he paused briefly in his tirade, I pulled up memories of the Dursleys saying almost the exact same thing he was saying, and forced him to watch from beginning to end some of my worst memories. It didn't take him long to realize that I did not grow up where he thought I did, and that I was not my father."

Lucius sat quietly for a few minutes taking in what he had been told, and then read between the lines to hear what he hadn't been told. The line that most got his attention was the last one, 'I was not my father' echoed in his mind, before he commented. "You say you are not your father, yet you still treat my son the same way you treat me," he pointed out, and even said softly, the sneer was evident in his voice.

Harry looked over him in shock before shaking his head in denial. "No Mr. Malfoy, I do not. I do my best to ignore Draco in school, but it's not always possible. I only attack when he starts it, and except for a few times, left you entirely out of the conversation. I would like nothing more then to be able to walk by him in the halls with nothing happening between us. It won't happen, but it's a nice dream." Harry stopped here, and for a moment his eyes glazed over, before he blinked them clear once more. "Professor Snape would like us to return, Mr. Malfoy," he said softly and then gently pushed the older man out of his mind.

Harry came back to himself with a start, when he realized he was being carried by a set of strong arms. Glancing up he saw a curtain of black hair, and he allowed himself to relax once again. "Which room is yours, Mr. Potter?" Harry felt Snape's words rumbled against one ear and heard with the other.

"The Master Suite. The Manor will show you the way," he replied softly, leaning his head heavily against the Potion Masters chest.

It didn't take long for the two older men to find themselves in the hidden part of the Manor, and a long hallway with, to the two of them anyway, only two doors. Harry opened his eyes slightly and smiled. "It seems the two of you will be staying up here as well," he murmured while directing Snape to the door on the right.

As the three of them entered the room, Lucius looked at the teen in Severus arms with a slight feeling of concern. "Are you feeling alright Mr. Potter?" he asked, coming to the realization that there was more to the young man than met the eye at first.

"Yes Sir, I'm fine. It's just a little draining to keep someone in my mind for any length of time. It's easier to just keep them out," Harry replied, still speaking softly.

By this time, Snape had entered Harry's room and, with a quick glance at the twisted sheets on the bed, settled the teen on the sofa by the fireplace instead. With a flick of his wand, Snape had the bed sheets straightened out and with another the quilt floating their way. When it reached them, Harry gave a resigned sigh as the older man wrapped it firmly around him. "Now, since you have managed to calm Lucius down, Mr. Potter, maybe we can go back to the question I wanted answered," Snape said snidely.

"Of course, Professor. Which question would you like me to answer?"

With another sidelong glance at the blond sitting beside him he asked, "How is Draco doing?"

Harry snuggled further into the sofa with a soft laugh. "Ah yes, the young Lord of The Manor is doing just fine. Pestering the hell out of me, but doing fine.'

"Do you have a problem with my son being here?"

"Problem? Nope, no problem. I'm just going to have to sit him down sometime real soon and explain to the prat that he is not Lord Black and will never be Lord Black unless the current Lord dies without an Heir."

Both men looked at him in shock before Snape pointed out, "He is the only male with the Black blood running though him. The title should have gone to him."

"Sorry Professor, but you're wrong. When my parents made Sirius my godfather, he swore on his blood and on his magic, binding himself to me. After his… death, I was recognized as both his Blood and Magical Heir, giving me full control." Looking up into stormy grey eyes, he continued. "Draco is MY Heir. Not Sirius's."

Both men were silent as they processed that little piece of information. Finally Malfoy Sr. shook himself, "So is it Lord Black-Potter, or Lord Potter-Black?" he asked, noticing the slight tensing in the man beside him.

"Neither, actually. I don't have full control until my birthday, so I'm just the Heir, which gives me certain privileges if I care to use them. I've been using my time here reading everything I could so I knew what I'm supposed to do when I do take the Titles, but I refuse to combine both of them. Depending on the circumstances I'll be either Lord Black or Lord Potter. If the situation calls for it, then and only then will I become Lord Black-Potter. For now, I'll be taking the name Black as a second middle name."

"Harry James Black Potter, hmm. Just doesn't have the same ring to it I must say," Malfoy drawled out, even as he noticed Severus relaxing once again.

"I know, but it should give me the extra two seconds I need to run when Molly gets mad," Harry laughed.

"That it will, Mr. Potter, that it will." Snape said softly, before asking, "Do you have another question?"

Turning serious Harry's gaze went between the two older men, "If the worst happens during the attack, and I'm captured and the only way out is to reveal who the spy is, which one you is going to be outed?"

"If you have the chance, and mind you that's only if there are no other options available, you will take Lucius," Snape stated, and before the elder Malfoy could protest, he continued. "There is already heavy suspicion on him because of Draco, and if things go wrong, you will do what you can to first convince them that Lucius is not the spy and if that does not work, you must get him out."

"What about you, Sir?" Harry asked softly, his gut twisting at the thoughts running through his head.

"I have been doing this for years, Mr. Potter. I will be fine."

Harry narrowed his eyes, and growled, "If it comes down to a choice on who to take and whom to leave, I will make the final decision about who's in the most danger, or I will remove you both. My asking was just a courtesy."

Snape turned his death glare on the young man, only to realize that Harry was dead serious. "Hopefully, Mr. Potter, it will not come to that."

hp

Lucius and Severus sat talking softly, as Harry had finally fallen asleep a few hours earlier, and though not a true sleep, one that was at least restful. Lucius watched the careful eye Severus kept on the sleeping teen, and wasn't sure what to make of it. "He's certainly not what I first thought he was," he said softly.

"No Luc, he's not. He's so much more then anyone ever thinks he is," was the equally soft reply. "And every time I think he can't surprise me anymore, he does just that," Snape said even softer.

Ignoring the last part of what was said, Lucius decided to ask the question that had been bothering him. "Severus, will you answer a question for me?"

"If I can."

"Why is it that, as close as the two of you obviously are, you do you not call each other by your first names?"

Severus turned and looked at Lucius for a moment, before turning his gaze once more on the sleeping teen. "Two reasons, I suppose. The first reason is that he's still my student, and as such, we cannot act too friendly to each other."

"And the second?"

"It's not safe to start calling each other by our first names. As long as we don't there is very little chance of slipping while in a public place. Even here it would cause a reaction that we cannot afford." Severus glanced up at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was dawn. "You'd better stand back; I need to wake him up, and he's not exactly that safe to be around before he's totally awake," he continued as he stood up and walking to where Harry slept curled up in a ball on the corner of the couch.

Carefully reaching over he gently touched Harry's shoulder, and then quickly stepped back when Harry surged to his feet in alarm, his wand silently summoned from the other side of the room and aimed directly at the dark man. "Mr. Potter, you are safe. No one here will hurt you," he said quietly but firmly.

It only took a minute or so for Harry to shake off the dream he was having before he was awakened and dropped his wand arm. "S'ry 'Fessor," he murmured groggily before stepping out of the mess the quilt made at his feet and picking it up, before heading over to the bed. A quick snap of his wrist had the quilt spread out over it properly, and as he turned to gather his things to get ready for the day, finally noticed Lucius Malfoy watching form the other side of the room. "My apologies to you as well Mr. Malfoy. I'm not exactly the nicest person to wake in the morning," he said, slightly more coherent this time.

"So I see, Mr. Potter. But it seems that Severus knew this and was prepared," he replied in a slightly questioning tone.

At this Harry blushed slightly, "Yes, he does. It wouldn't have been the first time he has been given the dangerous task of waking me up after a nightmare," Harry said quietly, not exactly answering the whole question.

An amused snort brought the attention away from Harry and to Snape instead. "That's only because I have the fastest reflexes, and your friends refuse to be hexed. Now, if you are done, would it be possible for you to check to see who's in the house?"

Harry disappeared into the bathroom, and made quick work of getting ready for the day, and when he came out he once more had his emotions under control. "No one is in the house at the moment, and no one will pass the wards unless there is an emergency."

"Where's Draco?" Mr. Malfoy asked.

"I sent him to Darkwood Manor with the Weasleys. It was the only place I could think to put him without him getting into to much trouble."

"I see. One more thing if you please Mr. Potter. When did you find out I was a spy? You seemed to accept my presence here last night without a fight."

Harry paused on his way to the door and turned around to give the blond a small smile. "I see, hear and understand more then Riddle does while I'm in his mind. Little things tipped me off to the fact that the two of you where together as more then just 'friends'. I figured that Professor Snape wouldn't do anything if it put his position in danger. As for actually finding out you are a spy? I have had my doubts about your loyalty to Riddle for the past few years. Again little things kept happening that showed me two different things. All my suspicions about you were confirmed last night," Harry told him. "Now gentlemen, if we are finished here, I do believe that it's time for breakfast," he finished as he walked out the door, leaving two astounded men behind him.


	3. Chapter 2

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N... thank you for your patience in waiting for a Beta'd copy. Thanks to Kei for your work. If anyone finds something that needs to be corrected, or you need explained, please let me know so that I can correct/explain it for you... luvs ya

Chapter Two

The morning of Harry's birthday dawned bright and cheerful, although the atmosphere at 12 Grimmauld Place was anything but. The three days leading up to it had revolved around the adults planning every little detail about what would happen when the Death Eaters attacked, and gradually a slight sense of panic started to settle over them as they realized their plans had their children as the main target. Harry and the DA on the other hand watched this all with amusement, knowing no matter what the adults planned, they would do exactly what they had been training to do for the past few years.

Every night since Harry had interrupted that one Order meeting saw him falling asleep in the presence of both Dark wizards, having been up late talking and arguing with the two of them over exactly where the DA would be, and what they would do. That morning was really no different then the few before, except this time he rolled out of the bed that he had no knowledge of falling into at all.

Being on autopilot, he did not notice either of the men at first, and it wasn't until he was actually finished dressing for the day that he noticed them watching him in amusement. "Before you ask, the whole Order plus the DA are in the house," he growled before continuing, "Which means the two of you should have been gone long ago. So why exactly are you still here?"

"Indeed they are, Mr. Potter. I hadn't really noticed the adolescent hormones pervading the air," Snape sneered at him which only caused Harry to grin.

"Alright then, it looks like the snarky git is almost back in fine form," Harry said before continuing. "Now, what exactly is it that you want?"

"I see that you are as dense as normal Potter. You will be, of course, introducing us to the nitwits who are following your harebrained plan, and letting them now know that if they need help we will do our best to provide it."

"No."

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously as he hissed. "No, Mr. Potter?"

Harry made sure to keep eye contact with the darker of the two, although Mr. Malfoy stood right behind Snape. "You heard me correctly, Professor. I said no. I will not risk either of your safety by letting even more people know that you are spies. If something happens, I will do my best to keep those with me out of your way, even if it means facing you myself," he told them in a determined voice. "Especially as I cannot guarantee that they will keep this information to themselves at a later date."

A silent battle of wills ensued between the two of them, neither giving into the other. Just as Lucius was about to interrupt the tense silence between the two, Harry took a slight step back and relaxed slightly.

Taking a deep breath Harry broke one of the few rules they had between them. "I'm sorry Sev'rus, but I can't risk you." With a quick glance to a set of worried grey eyes, he added, "Either of you. Even if everyone promised not to tell, just a wrong word where it could be overheard would mean death for the two of you. I can't do that, so please don't ask it of me," Harry pleaded softly, lowering his eyes as he felt tears threaten to fall.

Severus dropped his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's already too late for that Harry," he said just as softly, as he reached over and pulled Harry close enough for him to rest his chin on the top of Harry's head, and for Harry to rest his forehead against the black clad chest, with one hand resting lightly on Harry's slim waist, while the other gently rubbed against his back.

Lucius stepped from behind and walked around Severus so he instead stood behind Harry, wrapping an arm around the young man's waist with his hand resting over top of Severus' and dropped his head low enough to speak directly in Harry's ear. "Severus is right Harry. We were seen by a group of them while on our way up here."

Harry allowed the warmth generated from both older wizards warm his soul for a moment before shaking his head in denial. "They didn't see you. The Manor is hiding you from everyone who doesn't know you are here or are spies," he told them as he wrapped one arm around his middle, resting his hand on top of Lucius's and raising the other to latch into Severus's robes. "Like I said, I won't risk either of you, especially if it's within in my power to protect you."

Lucius straightened up and looked at Severus, reading the emotions flickering through the darker eyes, knowing that the same emotions could be seen in his own. Sighing softly, and hating himself for allowing it, he whispered in the younger man's ear, "You win this time, Brat. We'll allow you to protect us, but we will discuss this later."

Harry released the breath he had not known he was holding in a deep shuddering sigh. "Thank you," he barely whispered, knowing both of them had heard him. Taking another deep breath, he released his hold on both of them and stood up straight, once again ready to play his part as the Savior of the Wizarding world. "You'll both have my complete attention for any questions you may have about this later. Right now we need to get ready to go."

Lucius and Severus both released Harry, and stepped away, Severus pausing long enough to wipe a tear off of Harry's face. "Yes we will, Mr. Potter," he said bringing back that degree of formality that they all needed. "But for now you need to get going, otherwise you are going to miss your party in Hogsmeade."

Harry offered them a small smile as he stepped over to the door. "Of course Sir, we wouldn't want that now would we?" Just before walking out the door, he paused and looked back. "Stay safe, both of you. I won't be held responsible for my actions if something should happen to you." Then, he was gone.

hp

Albus Dumbledore stood with the rest of the Order of the Phoenix in the living room going over final plans for the day. Despite the effort to hide the evidence, he had noticed Harry's slightly puffy and too-bright eyes. Most of the others who saw the same thing chalked it up to nerves and the slight excitement that they all felt, but he knew better. He saw the faint tear tracks and wondered just how hard this day was going to be for Harry.

A slight noise from the stairs had him looking up as he saw both of his spies come down and glance around the room. When their eyes came around to where he and Harry stood, and realized they were being watched, they both nodded in acknowledgment. He also noticed that the Harry's shoulders tensed under their gaze, but didn't look up like he would have done normally. As the two left, he heard Harry release a shaky breath, and Albus was hit hard with the understanding that the young man beside him was extremely worried for one --if not both-- men. Placing a hand on one slim shoulder, he bent down and whispered that they would both be fine, and receiving a slight nod of the head in response, turned his attention once again to the final plans for the day.

hp

Harry and company did a whirlwind tour of Hogsmeade before going to the Three Broomsticks for lunch, laughing and joking the whole way. To anyone else, it looked like the group were spending a carefree day celebrating Harry's birthday, and only those in the Order who knew what they where looking at could actually say that they were acting.

As the group of teens went into every store in town, even if they didn't need to, they left the same message behind: "Attack imminent; keep customers inside if possible, be ready to defend yourself and others". As new customers came into the stores, the shopkeepers spread the message, and soon the town was sitting on complete alert, ready to hide and defend at a moment's notice.

It wasn't until they had just about finished their light meals that the first sounds of Apparition came to them, followed by a scream of fright and the first sounds of battle.

The DA, reacting to the danger, quickly and calmly dashed out and joined the battle, knowing that surprise was on their side and not the other way around. Curses and hexes filled the air around them laid heavy with the scent, smell, and taste that was Magic.

The core group of the DA, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, with the addition of the Weasley twins, stayed together like the well trained team they were, cutting a path through the Death Eaters with practiced ease, and leaving bound bodies behind them. The rest of the DA fanned out around them in groups of three, escorting those who needed it to safety and following the Death Eaters who tried to move away from the main group.

Harry did his best to ignore the familiar sense of well known magic mixed with undertones of Dark magic, and focused on capturing as many Death Eaters as he could. He knew that Voldemort was not present, as his scar did nothing more then tingle in reaction to the many Dark Marks around him. His focus was finally broken by a rough female voice that he knew all too well.

"Aw, has widdle baby Potter come out to play?"

"Bellatrix!" he growled and swung around to see part of Voldemort's Inner Circle.

Bellatrix Lestrange's crazed laugh rang loud in the sudden silence as the last of the stray Death Eaters were rounded up, the rest either bound and taken away or escaped. "Did you miss me, widdle Potter?"

Glancing around trying to see how many of those with him where still standing, he noticed that only about a dozen members of the DA and a handful of those from the Order remained. Relaxing his stance slightly Harry faced The Bitch. "You know my life isn't complete without you in it, Trixie," Harry mocked, and had the privilege of seeing her draw back in shock, before hissing in anger.

"This is the end, Potter. I'll see you in hell!" she screeched, raising her wand and casting a wandless spell that felt like a noose had wrapped around Harry's neck.

"You first, Bitch!" Harry snarled back through the choking pain, and raised his own wand, noticing out of the corner of his eye that those around him were mimicking his movements and casting strong shielding spells, and felt the "noose" loosening its hold on him.

A bright flash of light dazzled everyone's eyes, just as Harry threw a darker version of a binding curse towards her. When his eyes cleared of the bright spots left behind from the brightness, he started to swear in three different languages when he noticed the Inner Circle had disappeared.

With a last hissed curse of anger, Harry joined the rest in cleaning up as much of the damage as they could.

hp

After being pulled into the Infirmary, poked and prodded, fed healing and pain potions and declared fit to leave (as long as he took a vial of dreamless sleep potion with him), Harry quickly returned to Grimmauld Place in order to get any news about the battle. Unfortunately when he arrived, he was once again treated like a child and told to go to his room, take the sleeping potion and everything would be "discussed" in a few days. Translation: you've done your job, now go and play with the other children.

Slamming his way up the stairs in another fit of anger-- the third since the Inner Circle disappeared-- Harry mentally adjusted the wards around the Manor to no longer allow members of the Order to gain entrance, and, for those already in the Manor that had other places to go, subtly encourage them to leave. At the same time he made sure that they allowed Snape and Malfoy through and to let him know when they arrived.

Two hours later, after a long shower to wipe away the blood sweat and tears, never mind the dirt and grime of battle, Harry was working on wearing a path in the floor with his pacing, his mind going into overdrive on what reasons the two spies could have for not showing up yet, none of them good. A slight tingle combined with a light chime sounding in the air, told him that the wards had finally been breached and sighed with relief, grimacing with pain from his still sore throat.

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Severus Snape landed outside Grimmauld Place carrying the barely breathing body of Lucius Malfoy, urgency rushing through his own body to the point that he barely registered the Wards that tingled across his skin that told him that they were both safe.

Kicking open the door, he barely slowed down as he passed a few of the DA members still in attendance even as the pulled their wands on him. Carrying the blond into the sitting room, he looked around and blinked in the only sign of shock he would give in finding so few of the Order in residence. Spotting Remus Lupin sitting in the corner of the room, he laid his burden on the sofa and with a curl of his lips snarled, "Where is Potter, Wolf?"

Remus, after giving both Snape and Lupin a quick once over, met the burning black eyes before him. "We sent him to his room with a vial of Dreamless sleep and told him to get his rest," he said mildly, moving from his chair to check on Lucius's condition.

Severus breathed slightly in relief. "Then he's still awake," he murmured and strode over to the stairs. "POTTER!"

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Harry paced his room in agitation as he continued to wait for word from the two spies. Worry making it impossible for him to sit down, he finally decided that it was stupid to be in his room when he could be with the others, regardless of what they wanted him to do. As he started down the stairs the bellow of the Potions Master came to him and two things struck him within the next few seconds: utter relief that the two of them were safe, followed by panic at Snape's tone of voice.

Taking the stairs down three at a time in his rush to get to Snape, Harry missed his step and started to fall down the remaining steps. Bracing himself for impact, he spread his arms in front and slightly to the side of him to find something to catch his fall on, only to find himself caught and braced against a strong chest, his hands find purchase on a set of quivering arms. Looking up into Snape's eyes he could see the pain and despair in them. "Are you alright, Sir?" he whispered, wary of his sore throat.

Closing his eyes to hide his feelings from the far too aware green ones in front of him, Severus nodded his head slightly. "Yes Mr. Potter I'm fine. But Lucius…" he trailed off and turned Harry around so he could see the figure on the sofa, not surprised at the growl of anger he heard coming from the teen.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the blond aristocrat before they narrowed in fury. "That fucking son of a bitch," he hissed. "He keeps giving me more reasons to kill him!" Were the last words coherent words he actually in English as his fury pushed him to start in Parseltongue as he advanced on the sofa.

A flash of blond hair, and a wand jammed up against his chest stopped him before he was halfway there, and the cold words uttered in a tone that reminded Harry of the elder Malfoy brought him back to the point of noticing those in the room with him.

"You will have to go through me before you'll ever touch my father, Potter!" Draco snarled

Harry blinked as he took in the chips of ice that formed in Draco Malfoy's eyes, before glancing around to see the core members of the DA with wands drawn pointed at Lucius, Severus and Draco. Even as he did so, those Order members still in the house pulled their wands on Harry. "Put your wands down," he snarled at the DA before turning his attention back to Draco. "I suggest you stop being a total arse and get out of my way. The only thing I plan on doing is healing your father, and the longer I take arguing with you, the greater chance he has on not making it. Now move Malfoy before I make you!" he growled out before casting his eyes on the rest of the room. "You all know that I know he's a spy, what makes you think that I'll do something stupid now?" he demanded of them.

Draco stepped back in shock more from the barely constrained anger he saw in Harry's eyes then the snarled words. Stepping to the side, he allowed the darker teen to pass him, and moved to watch from the other side of the sofa, his eyes losing the icy quality and instead morphed into despair.

Both the DA and the Order dropped wands and eyes in shame.

Studying Malfoy Sr., Harry extended his own magic to pin point the heavily damaged areas. Kneeling beside the sofa he directed his magic to smooth out the knots in Malfoys own magic before he started healing the physical injuries, wincing slightly at the feeling of evil he was getting off the Dark Mark. "Professor, how long was he held under the cruciatus curse?" he asked the dark figure standing directly behind him as he healed the broken bones caused by the spasms from that one curse, as well as his other external and internal injuries.

"Too long," came the soft response.

"Shite," Harry exclaimed just as softly. Laying his wand beside Lucius's still form, he moved the long blond hair out of his way, and placed his hands on Lucius's temples. Feeling a slight awareness, Harry started talking softly. "Lucius, it's Harry. I need you to open your eyes and look at me." Harry continued to repeat various forms of this over for a few minutes before slumping down and looking up at Snape. "He's not listening Sev'rus." he said, his voice quivering as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"You need his cooperation Harry. Do what you must," Severus answered.

Nodding his head, Harry stood up. Being as gentle as possible, but knowing that he needed to cause some pain to get a response, Harry straddled Lucius waist and once again placed his hands on the man's temples. "Lucius you sadistic bastard open your eyes and prove that you truly belong in Slytherin and not Hufflepuff," Harry snarled in the blonde's ear, and had to blink back more tears when he finally received a faint sound of disgust from the man beneath him.

"Could be worse, I could be calling you an idiotic Gryffindor. It certainly seems to fit the bill. I mean going back to the man you call 'Master' when you knew that you failed and would be punished by a half blood doesn't seem like the thing a Slytherin would do now does it?" Harry mocked.

This time Harry saw the man's eyes flutter open for a moment before once again closing, and he could have cheered. Knowing that he almost had the man right where he wanted him, he raised a sound proof bubble around the two of them, totally blocking out his next words. "If you don't open your eyes and let me in Luc, I'm going to steal Sev'rus away from you, and I won't be giving him back!"

It took a minute for Harry's words to make any progress, but his reward had him unable to hide his tears. Grey eyes opened and gave him a weak glare as Lucius croaked out despite his abused throat. "Mine."

Harry grinned and dropped the bubble so that everyone could once again hear. "We'll discuss that issue once we have you healed. You're going to need to open your mind for me so that I can prevent any more damage."

Lucius briefly closed his eyes as he fought against both the pain and nausea before opening them once again and nodding his head in permission to the younger man. "Do your worst, Harry," he said weakly.

"Your wish, Lord Malfoy, is my command," Harry answered softly, letting his mind and magic sink deep into the man under him, secure in the knowledge that Severus Snape would protect both of them from anything that came their way. 


	4. Just a note

Hey All...

I have received a few reviews asking me if I plan to contiue this story...

The answer is yes. This and all the others are being updated, it's just taking me a little longer then I expected, as I just started a new job.

Please have a little more patience with me. Your reviews have kept me going through the last little while and I can't tell you how much they mean to me.

Luvs ya all.

Vbollman


	5. Chapter 3

Summer after fifth year

IMPORTANT A/N... This chapter is one really large flash back... going back to where it all started... Now I know I left a lot out, especially during the end part, so I'm going to ask for your help. If there is anything you would like to see that could have happened during the summer before fifth year and even during sixth year, please let me know and I'll write it in as a flash back. Thank you.

If you reconize anything from the movies or books, it's not mine...

Thanks again to Kei... without you this would be a mess...

Summer after fifth year

It had been three days since the members of the Order of the Phoenix had threatened his aunt and uncle and Harry was bored. For Harry, being bored was never a good thing, as it gave him to much time to think about what happened the month before at the Ministry of Magic and the death of his godfather. As the memories once more tried to resurface, he attempted to push them away while suppressing a shiver of horror as well as a huge pile of guilt. Deciding that working out in the garden, one of the few things he was required to do anymore, was better than setting around doing nothing, or better yet allowing the memory to resurface in full detail in his mind, Harry pulled on a ratty shirt and treaded barefoot out the door.

Five hours later, Harry returned to his room, only to stop and stare at his bed in shock. Centered precisely in the middle of faded sheets, were three bottles and a book. The bottles contained a nutrient potion, a burnless sun potion and, to his immense relief, a vial of Dreamless Sleep.

A quick search of the room, which included turning the book upside down and giving it a shake, turned up no note. Shrugging his shoulders, he quickly downed both the nutrient and burnless sun potions and set the Dreamless Sleep on the nightstand for later that night. Picking up the book again, he looked at the cover and almost dropped it when he read the title.

_Meditation: The Art of Clearing One's Mind_ by E. A. Prince.

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The following two weeks settled in to a regular pattern: waking each morning with the sun, making breakfast for his "family" and eating the meagre portion they allowed. Afterwards, he would go out while the day was still cool and do any of the yard work that needed to be done, which had grown to include all of the outdoor work: painting, washing windows, cleaning out the garage, washing the car, et cetera. The afternoons he had to himself, to do with as he pleased as long as he stayed within the boundaries of the yard.

Harry really didn't mind, knowing the physical activity was good for his body, and it gave him something to do while he worked on clearing his mind, which had almost become second nature to him once exactly what he needed to do had been explained to him, in fact, he had managed to build the first of his shields the night he had received the book.

He had also found a side effect of clearing his mind: it had allowed him to sense and therefore track the magical signatures around him, and much to his amusement it had also allowed him to identify specific people that had come to guard him, although the mistakes his guards all seemed to make it even easier. 'Dung of course smelt of alcohol, while Shacklebolt smelt like exotic spices. Moody always had a heavier tread with his wooden leg, and Tonks was clumsy. The only one that he had been unable to identify was the one that he preferred to have around. There was just something so soothing to the feel of the magic around this mysterious person that Harry didn't want him – for he knew that much at least – to leave.

As Harry started to clean up after he finished the yardwork, he felt the magic around him shift. Paying closer attention he "felt" Tonks leave as his unknown watcher appeared. With a small smile, Harry headed inside and up to his room to gather some of his homework assignments. "Might as well take advantage of the nice weather and do it outside," he mumbled to himself without realizing that he was doing so out loud. Going back outside, he sat under the tree (which, coincidentally, his watcher was sitting in) and spread his potions work on the grass in front of him. Reading through the few chapters that had been assigned, he shook his head and went back inside to retrieve the rest of his potions books.

An hour later Harry found himself even more confused over the subject matter. Dropping the book he was reading and attempting to understand, he thumped his head into the tree a few times in frustration. Going over his meditation exercises in order to calm down once more, he picked up the book and muddled through it in the attempt that maybe this time he would understand what it was he was suppose to do. "Note to self," he grumbled, "Find a book entitled '_Potions Basics for the Slytherin Student_'"

Two days later, along with the dreamless sleep and the nutrient potion, Harry found another book. Picking it up, he read the cover, a slow grin spreading across his face.

_Everything You Needed to Know About Potions: A Beginner's Guide to Brewing_ by E & S Prince.

This time a short note accompanied it. All it said was, "More to follow as needed" written in a slightly familiar script.

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The following weeks leading up to Harry's sixteenth birthday changed very little during the day. Books were added to his collection covering many different subjects. Muggle books included texts on maths, science, history, self-defence theory, and managing finances; there were also books about brainstorming and writing proper essays. Harry would have sworn the magical texts covered the entire Hogwarts curriculum from first year on, focusing especially on Potions, Defence, History, Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology (conveniently his core subjects); Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Astronomy were also included. Harry also received texts (Muggle and magical) and lessons on language acquisition and practical lessons on writing with a quill.

Harry figured that if he kept going at this pace, he should be capable of achieving the top marks in all his classes, as well as a few he wasn't taking.

The nights, on the other hand, were totally different. Nightmares came nearly every night, making it almost impossible for him to sleep and giving him extra time on his lessons. However, much to his dismay and despite his shields, the Visions from Voldemort came straight through.

One night, the silencing charm that one of his watchers placed on the room broke from the strain of his screams as he watched Voldemort torture his own minions, waking up the entire house in the process.

Vernon Dursley had reached his breaking point. After being threatened at the train station, he had been forced to play nice and had allowed that… that abomination to laze about the house all day, and do that which he had been forbidden to do until now: study. Storming into the freak's room, he grabbed hold of the shuddering teen and, making sure to hit walls, railings and everything in between, dragged the boy to the cupboard and tossed him in, not caring about any damage done to him in the process.

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Severus Snape glared around the hospital wing at the members of the Order that clustered around his bed. Madam Pomfrey, conniving woman that she was, had allowed the intrusion only to make sure that _he_ remained in her _tender_ care for at least another day. He had only paid enough attention to the conversation around him to be able to say that he listened, until what Tonks was saying caught his attention.

"What do you mean you have not seen Mr. Potter outside in the past three days?" he snarled softly.

"Exactly what I said. We've been keeping to the regular schedule only substituting your shifts with who ever was available, and no one has seen him. We've seen the three Muggles, but not him."

By this time, everyone else had also started to pay attention, although the others really didn't see what Snape saw. Gathering closer, they waited for the Potions Master to reveal what his big problem was.

"I just want to make things perfectly clear. You have not seen Mr. Potter for the three days I have been here. You are not particularly concerned, despite the fact that the boy has a clear habit of going outside to do the atrocious amount of yard work in the morning. The same boy, who even on days where he can not be outside due to the weather, still comes outside for a few minutes. This is the same boy who, after making lunch and getting little of it to eat, once again goes back outside to do his homework. You are telling me that for the past three days the Boy-Who-Lived has not been seen at all, despite the fact that his very clear schedule that has not changed at _all_ since he has been returned to the _loving_ care of his relatives." By the time he was done, his voice had lowered to the point that even the most hardened of Aurors cowered in fear.

Tonks and the others who had shared guard duty simply nodded their heads. That was exactly what they had done. "We were worried about you. No one knew for sure that you were going to be okay, and we assumed Harry was just staying inside," Tonks said softly.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his temper at bay. All he knew for sure at this time was that he was surrounded by idiots. The voice of the Headmaster broke his dark thoughts on how exactly he could accomplish the Dark Lord's objective of taking out the Order of the Phoenix and disposing of the evidence.

"Severus, how do you know exactly what Harry does during the day?" Albus said softly.

"I don't sit outside of the yard unlike the rest of the imbeciles you have guarding the boy. There is a large tree near the middle of the backyard with a perfect spot to sit within its branches. I sit there while Potter does his homework." Looking up at Moody, who stood off to the side of the others, he asked, "Did you know that he's figured out exactly who his watchers are? He's learned to read magical signatures, and can track each of you around the property. There is only one he hasn't figured out yet."

"You," Moody stated, clearly not that surprised.

Snape just nodded his head. "He talks when his relatives can't hear him. Sometimes he goes over his lessons or he makes idle comments about what is going on in the Wizarding World. It could be that he's just talking to fill some of the silence…"

"Or he's talking to you," Albus pointed out.

Sighing softly, Snape confirmed this. "Or he's talking to me." Falling silent, he thought about everything he had learned and the pieces started to fall together. "None of you have seen him since the last time I was called?" he questioned once more, just to confirm his suspicions. When he only received nods, he swore softly under his breath and reached for his wand with one hand while removing the blankets covering him with the other. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he quickly transfigured the hospital issue gown into his usual black apparel and stalked to the door.

Madam Pomfrey, seeing the Potion Master leaving her ward, stood in his way, not at all intimidated by the glare on his face. "Just where do you think you are going, Severus Snape?" she growled.

Folding his arms across his chest, Severus gave her a glare. "I am going to retrieve Mr. Potter from the _loving_ care of his family. While I am gone, _you_ will be making sure that his bed here is ready for him." With that, he stepped around the gobsmacked Matron and continued on his way.

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Apparating to his usual spot behind the Dursley home, Severus didn't bother casting the invisibility spell that he normally used when keeping watch over Harry Potter. Stalking up the walk to the front door, he cast a wandless, wordless spell that allowed him to make sure all four occupants where home, and the gave a grim smile when he saw that they were. 'This will make my mission so much easier,' he thought without humour.

Reaching the front door, he knocked briskly and pushed open the door without waiting for it to be opened for him. He ignored the thin-necked woman who was just started to rise from the supper table to answer the door. He swept up the stairs three at a time and, upon reaching the top gave his wand a short wave at the line of locks, which quickly dropped to the floor. Stepping inside, he surveyed the room and, not finding his intended target, moved down the stairs faster then he first went up and had his wand settled beneath the quivering jowls of one Vernon Dursley in a matter of seconds.

"Where is Harry Potter?" he hissed, his voice soft and dangerous.

Caught between fear and anger, for once in his life Vernon did the right thing: he told the truth. "C—Cu—cupboard," he managed to stutter out.

With a muttered oath, Severus turned away from the whale of a Muggle. He knew what this particular cupboard was, and what it was used for in the past. "So help me Dursley, if you move from that spot, you will find out just what exactly a Dark Wizard is!" he growled as he swept out of the room.

Standing in front of the cupboard, Severus cursed the Gods that had put him in a position to help this young man, and no he did not just mean tonight. It never failed that something would happen and he was the one hauling Potter's arse out of the fire. With a deep breath, he steadied his nerves for what he thought he would find and slowly lowered himself to his knees. Taking a second deep breath, he used a touch of wandless magic to unlock this door as well and carefully open it. He moved forward slightly in order to peer in to he darkness. A soft "Lumos" gave enough light to bring a dull shine to a pair of pain filled green eyes. "Hello, Mr. Potter."

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Harry sat huddled in the dark, reciting every spell and its use that he could remember. When he couldn't recall any more, he went on to History, both Magical and Muggle and from there he went on to Potions, math and science. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the cupboard this time, but had felt the magical signature of at least two different people, but even then he couldn't be sure if that was because he missed the others while he was unconscious. He could say for sure that the unknown presence that he craved had not made an appearance, which he knew he would have remembered even if he wasn't aware of the rest of his surroundings at the time.

His suspicions on who that mystery person was had all but been confirmed with his last vision. He had had the honour of front row seats as an unwilling witness as the snarky git of the dungeons had been cursed almost beyond endurance for the location of the Dursley's home. The curses were many and varied, and started out with his follow Death Eaters only to be finished with a few rounds from the Dark Lord himself. In the end, when it became obvious that Snape didn't know Harry's location, he had been ordered to find out where the Muggles lived and give the information to the Dark Lord as soon as possible; sooner, if he could. He had also been ordered well to find rare potions ingredients that were needed for a special potion, and ordered to leave. When Voldemort's attention had been taken off of him by another Death Eater, Harry had still been able to "see" Lucius Malfoy gently pick the Potions Master up and activate a portkey.

Harry hadn't felt that magical signature since that night and he figured that it was Snape who had been helping him all summer long. And didn't that just raise all sorts of questions about why he had been helping when the past five years had made Harry believe that the man hated him, never mind the reaction the older man had to Harry this past school year.

To avoid falling asleep and therefore making sure he did not suffer through nightmares or Visions, Harry allowed his mind to wander over the past years at Hogwarts and his encounters with Snape, as well as the times the man saved his life. This had allowed him to come to the conclusion that maybe the man didn't actually hate him. He even allowed himself to think that maybe the man might actually care.

Another puzzle to his mind were the actions of Lucius Malfoy. It hadn't been the first time he had seen the elder Malfoy acting out of character and he wasn't sure if the man was another spy or just not totally loyal to the dark. He finally decided that at this time it wasn't worth the headache and put it to the back of his mind to stew, knowing full well that when he needed the information all the important stuff would be his.

Adjusting his body slightly, Harry struggled to hold back the darkness the threatened just from the pain it caused. He didn't want to face the bleakness of unconsciousness again, especially since he figured that he had a concussion—not bad, but enough to worry about. Holding himself still, he directed the magic that he could control to the areas most in need of help, and hoped that someone would come soon.

Even before the thought had fully formed, Harry's head snapped up, much to his regret, as a shiver of awareness worked its way down his spine. Quieting his breathing as much a possible, he waited for what seemed like eternity as the unknown presence barged into the house, and followed the presence mentally, right up until it stopped right in front of his cupboard. Holding his breath, he stifled the whimper of pain as he tried to push himself further into the corner of the small space just in case he was wrong over who was on the other side of that door. Closing his eyes against the first harsh glare of light, he opened them once more when he felt the wash of magic on his skin at the murmured Lumos. The quiet greeting in that oh-so-familiar voice almost had him sagging in relief, only catching himself before he managed to move his shoulder once again. "Professor Snape," he breathed out in relief.

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Cursing softly under his breath, Severus carefully manoeuvred the slight teen out of the cupboard, being as gentle as possible. He knew just by the way Harry held his shoulder while still inside the tiny room that the shoulder itself at the very least was broken, and knew that this exercise would be extremely painful. When he had Harry closer to the door, he sat down on the floor itself and with a murmured warning, slide his arms almost completely under the boy and pulled him all the way out and into his lap, greatly surprised when Harry did nothing more then hiss in pain, although the blood coming from where he bit his lip gave away the withheld scream. Cradling the teen in his lap, he waited a few minutes for Harry to catch his breath before he removed a few potions from his pocket and carefully fed them to Harry. Even with the painkillers Severus knew he would have to be very carefully in standing, but managed with a minimum of fuss and, adjusting his grip slightly to take a better hold on the young man in his arms, stalked to the kitchen to deal with the three he knew would still be waiting there for him.

Severus didn't pause long in giving the Dursleys a very small portion of what they deserved, mostly because even with the pain killers running through his system, Harry was barely remaining conscious. Severus knew that a portkey was out of the question in getting them both to Hogwarts, the only problem was that Apparating wouldn't be much better. Shaking his head in disgust over his worries and tightening his arms slightly, so as not to cause more pain than necessary, he gave another growled warning before Apparating both of them to the gates of Hogwarts, and moving quickly as possible to where the young man could be treated.

In the Hospital Wing, he gently lowered his burden down on the prepared bed, his cold voice cutting through the outraged babble. "I do believe this is a good time for all of you to get out and actually do something useful, as you most certainly can not be trusted to look after one fifteen year old boy."

"Now Severus, you know that's not exactly fair," Albus tried to point out.

"Then explain to my satisfaction, Headmaster, just why no one checked on him when he hadn't been following his daily routine for the past three days, when everyone in this room knows that he suffers through everything the Dark Lord does when angry!" he demanded, and then added on an extra little dig. "Especially when you, Headmaster knew there was a history of abuse!"

Albus winced at both the questions and the formality used by one so close to his heart. Bowing his head, he sadly shook it, not having an answer available

With his attention riveted to the Medi-witch now working over her newest patient, he gave his hand a wave, a clear dismissal to everyone in the room. As they all filed passed him he reached out and grabbed Tonks by the arm and pulled her close. "Mr. Potter's belongings are still in that house. Gather them and don't forget to check the loose floor board under the contraption they called a bed," he murmured softly.

Tonks wisely didn't give a verbal answer and as soon as the crushing grip on her arm was released , she moved quickly to do his bidding. In all the years she known the Potions Master, she had never seen or even heard of him becoming this worked up over a slip of a boy, unless of course it was to flay them alive with the sharp edge of his tongue.

The following three days passed, for some, in utter disbelief for the protective manner in which Severus Snape watched over Harry Potter. No one wanted to spend any period of time in the vicinity of the Hospital Wing and the snarling man who had taken to haunting it, unless they wanted to be on the receiving end of a lashing from a tongue that had dipped in venomous vitriol.

For Snape, however, those three days passed extremely slowly. He had taken to doing any paper worked that needed to be done, like the marking for his end of term exams, including going over Po—no, Harry—no, definitely Potter's school work, sitting in a comfortable chair that had appeared during on of the infrequent trips out of the infirmary, which were only made when Poppy kicked him out.

This was one of those times when he had been ordered down to his chambers to "refresh" himself under the threat that if he didn't go willingly she would do it herself. Even now as he was stepping out of the shower, the look in her eyes as she made that pronouncement made him shudder in disgust.

He had just finished dressing in clean fitted black trousers and a cream dress shirt, and was reaching for his outer robes when his Floo flared green and the dreaded woman's voice sounded through his chambers.

"Severus! We need you! NOW!"

The panic in her voice put him on full alert. Forgetting his robes he moved quickly toward the fire place. "What has happened?" he snarled.

"He started tossing and turning as soon as you left. It got to the point were Albus tried to restrain him physically, and his magic practically exploded out of him. No one can get near him through the storm his magic is creating."

The explanation was barely out of her mouth before Severus was standing in her domain. The moment he was fully in the room, the wild magic surrounding Harry died down, though he continued to thrash around on the bed. The closer Severus drew to the bed, the quieter the teen became. As he reached out to brush the hair off Harry's damp forehead, Harry's eyes snapped open unseeing, and he bolted upright in the bed. "Professor!" he croaked, and reached out for the presence he could feel close by, latching onto the hand still partially raised towards him.

"Calm yourself, Mr. Potter, I'm here," Severus soothed, squeezing the smaller hand within his own.

"You left." The voice was small, barely above a whisper

"Only for a moment. You are safe here at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?"

"Indeed. Now relax and allow Madam Pomfrey check you over."

Harry reluctantly released the hand he was holding and laid back down, blinking moisture into his eyes. "Why can't I see?" he asked fearfully.

"A lingering side effect from the potions you needed to heal the concussion you had. They will clear up in a few minutes," Madame Pomfrey reassured him.

Blinking a few more times in the hopes of speeding the process up, his unseeing eyes tracked the presence of the dark wizard as he moved across the room, his body becoming more and more tense the further away his professor went and relaxing once again as the Potions Master moved closer.

"Close your eyes," came the gentle command.

Harry followed the order immediately and felt a damp warm cloth that smelt somewhat spicy settle over his eyes. A few minutes later the cloth was removed and the command to open his eyes came. Blinking a few more times, Harry relaxed even more when he could once more make out the blurry figures around his bed.

A pair of glasses were gently placed on his nose and, after a disoriented moment, his vision cleared. "Where did these come from?" he croaked once more, and gratefully accepted the glass of water handed to him.

Albus cleared his throat softly and waited for Harry to focus on him. "Your other ones could not be repaired, so I sent out for new set. These are Wizarding glasses and self-adjust as needed."

"Thank you, Sir," Harry replied softly

As Poppy finished running her scans, she smiled in grim satisfaction. "Well, Mr. Potter, once again you've survived to attempt to sneak out of my ward once more."

Hearing the low growl of anger, Harry quickly looked up at Snape, surprise written over his face. "Professor?" he questioned.

"It's alright Harry. Professor Snape, I believe, is just upset that I'm treating your injuries lightly," Poppy answered instead.

"Oh… But you only meant that I was fine," Harry said in confusion.

Poppy just smiled. "Indeed I did, and you are allowed to leave as long as you're supervised and take it easy for the next few days," she said lightly, patting his good shoulder gently before walking away.

Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling softly, smiled at Harry and then turned that smile on Severus. "That is very good news indeed. Now the only question is where to send you?" Turning thoughtful he started to work out the problem. "I think the best place for you would be Grimmauld Place with the Weasleys…" he started to say before being interrupted.

"I would rather not," came from Harry,

" I think not," Severus said at the same time.

Ignoring the glaring Potions Master for the moment, Albus turned troubled eyes on Harry. "Whyever not, my boy?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Harry started to choke out a response. "I… Siri…" He didn't get any further before he buried his head in the pillow, desperately trying to hold back the waves of grief that just the mention of that house brought down on him.

"Severus?" Dumbledore questioned as he watched his Potions Master run slim fingers through unruly hair.

"At this time, being in that house will be a drawback more than anything. Consider as well that being around all of the Weasleys would not be restful," Severus answered as he unconsciously messaged the nape of Harry's neck.

"I see. Well, he cannot stay in the Tower as he will not be supervised there either," Albus stated, smiling inwardly, knowing what would come next. In fact, he knew it would happen even before he brought up where young Harry would be staying.

Severus, only then realizing that he had been manipulated, grimaced slightly. "I suppose that he shall be staying with me then. It will give him a chance to catch up with the practical part of his summer work."

"Excellent suggestion. If of course that will be alright with you Harry?" Receiving a simple nod in response, he continued. "Very well then, I will ask the Castle to add another room to your chambers then, Severus."

"That will be fine, but I must remind you that we will only be staying in the Castle for a few more days, or have you forgotten that I'm supposed to be travelling to collect rare potions ingredients?"

"And you want to bring young Harry with you?" came Dumbledore's surprised question.

"Of course. I can't trust any of you to keep him out of trouble," Severus answered with a sneer.

Harry turned over to study the man still standing next to his bed in surprise, being careful not to dislodge the fingers still tangled in his hair. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Severus Snape wanted to take Harry Potter, Bane of his existence, into his home. Not only that, he wanted Harry to share his summer while travelling. A quick glance at the Headmaster showed the same surprise but it was quickly covered once again, and oh, how those eyes twinkled brightly.

"Well then, I have things to do, and you have arrangements to make, so I'll leave you to it," Albus said before taking his leave.

Severus preserved the moment in his mind, the day he finally surprised Albus Dumbledore.

"Really, Sir?" Harry asked and received a nod in response. "Thank you," he said softly.

Severus looked down at the teen and noticed that he had somehow managed to get his fingers tangled in the dark mess of hair. Quickly removing them, he sneered softly. "Do not thank me, Mr. Potter. Make no mistake, you will be made to work." Softening slightly at the look in those green eyes, he continued. "Your talent with snakes may just come in handy whilst gathering several rare ingredients. We will be doing a lot of foot work in areas rarely seen by humans. Along the way, I will teach you everything I can about the ingredients collected and what they are used for. Along with the summer work we have already started, I will teach you how to fight, magically as well as hand to hand; none of this nice stuff that you have already learned. By the time I'm done with you this summer and during this upcoming school year, you will know how to survive against anyone."

"So, low down and dirty?" Harry asked with a small smirk.

"Indeed, Mr. Potter—just like a Slytherin."

Between the evil smile and the look in those dark eyes, Harry wasn't sure if he should sigh in relief or run in fear.

hp

September First saw Harry Potter waiting for his friends at the Gryffindor table well dressed, well toned, well bronzed and most definitely with a whole new appreciation for one Snarky Git of the Dungeons. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Please don't kill me! I know it took awhile to come out, and it's shorter than normal, but the next part decided it didn't want to be written. So here it is. What there is of it anyway. I'M SORRY!!!!

Disclaimer: Not mine, but then you all knew that already right.

Much thanks goes out to Periculum for all her help with Betaing this chapter. Any mistakes after she was done with it are mine.

_**Chapter Four.**_

~back to the present~

Severus watched as whatever Harry said in the silence of the privacy bubble seemed to pull Lucius from his almost comatose state, and felt relief wash through him. "Thank Merlin," he whispered, not realizing that he had spoken out loud. As the bubble came down, Harry's next words, for some reason, filled him with both a sense of dread and joy, at the implied threat and promise in the Gryffindor's voice.

When Harry slipped into a healing trance with Lucius, Severus had known that his job now was twofold. One to protect the two on the sofa from any threat that may show up, and also to add his own magic and strength to Harry's should the teen's own begin to fail. With his focus so intent on the two on the sofa, he knew immediately when Harry released his hold on the wards, in order to bring his full power to the matter on hand, so unlike the others he was not surprised when both Albus and Poppy appeared in the room.

Poppy took in the situation with a single glance and pulled her wand to monitor the condition of both. She had barely taken the second step towards the pair, when a crushing grip held her back. "Release me, Severus!" she hissed.

Shaking his head, Severus instead pulled her away. "Anything you cast at them may very well cause Mr. Potter to attack," he told her calmly, though the tightness around his jaw belied that calmness.

"I would never do anything to hurt that young man!"

Hermione, seeing that the Professor was not going to say any more on the subject, stepped in. "With all due respect, Madam, we all know that you would do nothing to hurt either of them, but the Professor is correct. As far down as he is, Harry will not recognize what is being cast or who the caster is."

Ron nodded in agreement. "There is perhaps only one person who would be able to get anywhere near him at the moment, and that's Professor Snape. There is a very good reason we get him to wake Harry up when necessary, as Harry usually attacks first and asks questions later."

Turning to the Headmaster, Poppy raised a single eyebrow in question. "Albus?"

"I think, my dear, that you should remember young Harry's reactions while in your care during the summer after his fifth year," Albus replied thoughtfully.

Any response that was coming was cut off when Harry convulsed, wrestling a whimper of protest from Lucius. Severus, without thinking, had his wand out and started to cast diagnostic spells over the duo, proving both Hermione and Ron correct in one regard. Dropping his wand when a strong pulse of uncontrolled magic throbbed through the room, he started to curse. "Damn him, he's coming into his inheritance. He should have known better."

"Professor," Hermione questioned softly, "did anyone tell Harry what would happen?"

All the adults stood still as they processed that information, Albus paled and sat down weakly in a chair, while Poppy let her legs fold under her right where she was standing. "I never thought about that," she whispered.

"Neither did I," Remus echoed.

"I don't understand," Ron said, "Shouldn't he have gone through this already? I mean I came into mine at midnight on my birthday; so did Hermione and the others in our year."

"No, Mr. Weasley, he shouldn't have," Severus commented softly. "For those who are more powerful, their full power comes in at the moment of their birth, not just the day." 

Draco, his features turning grayish in color, looked up at his godfather. "Can't you separate them?"

Growling low in his throat, Severus shook his head. "No. To do so would cause permanent damage to both of them."

Another pulse of magic had both Harry and Lucius convulsing this time, and everyone could see the struggle and pain Harry was going through. Gasping slightly, Harry managed to get his muscles to relax enough to speak. "Sev'rus! Help me!" 

Not even thinking about the consequences, Severus started towards the pair, only to be stopped by a strong hand on his arm. "Think about this first, my boy. We could lose all three of you," Albus stated.

Snarling softly, Severus removed his arm from the older wizard's grasp. "I have been protecting him for most of his life. I'm not going to stop now."

Being careful not to touch Harry just yet, Severus gathered Lucius into his arms and moved him, and therefore Harry forward enough to slip his body beneath the other two, and pulled Lucius back so that he was cradled against his chest. Closing his eyes briefly in a silent prayer to any deity that may be listening, he placed his hands over Harry's and allowed the magic to take hold of him, and formed an anchor for Harry to brace himself against.

Time stopped having meaning for the three men, as the magic swirled around and through them, marking the two older men in ways that outwardly would not show, but to their inner selves would be immediately noticeably. The changes going on in the younger wizard showed for all to see, as the magic delighted in making new paths and changing old ones. Slowly the magic flowing through him to the others calmed and finally stopped, and only gentle waves continued to crash through Harry, and would for awhile longer.

Five hours after Severus joined the other two, his eyes fluttered open and a low groan alerted the others to his waking. They immediately set forth to move the other two men so he could get up.

"No," he croaked while tightening his grasp around the two men in his arms. "Don't move them."

The hands stopped trying to move them, allowing Severus to relax his grip slightly. A cool glass of water was pressed to his mouth, and he gratefully allowed the liquid to soothe the rawness in his throat, the faint aftertaste allowing him to identify the painkillers mixed in with the water.

"Why can't we move them, my boy?" Albus asked gently.

Swallowing slightly, Severus opened his eyes fully to look at his mentor. "A bond of some sort was created between us. It needs to stabilize or Harry could lose his mind."

Hiding his astonishment, Albus nodded his head in understanding. "Alright, then it's probably easier to leave you here, instead of moving you somewhere more comfortable," he murmured, taking out his wand in order to transfigure the sofa into a bed for the three men.

Before Severus could warn the older man not to perform any spells on the three of them, a clawed hand lashed out and gripped Albus' wrist before the older man could cast any spells, drawing a slight amount of blood; Severus immediately started stroking a hand through the unruly dark hair of the younger wizard. "Calm yourself, Mr. Potter," he ordered. "The headmaster is not going to harm any of us."

The hand gripping the headmaster's wrist relaxed slowly before letting go completely, but one slitted green eye opened to watch the older wizard carefully as he incanted the spells that would make the sofa more comfortable for the three of them. When the wand was put away, Harry closed his eye once again, and settled back down to sleep, a low growl that could almost be called a purr issuing forth from the young man as his hair continued to be stroked.

"Remarkable."

"Indeed," Severus replied.

"Go back to sleep, my boy, I'll ward the room so no one can disturb you. I'll also warn anyone not to cast anything near him while he is not fully awake."

"I'm sure most of his friends know that already, but thank you anyway, Albus," Severus replied softly, closing his eyes to join the other two in sleep once again.

~~hp~~

The next time he opened his eyes, Severus knew that something was wrong. A faint shiver in one of the forms using him as a pillow clued him in to what it was. "Lucius?" he whispered.

"Severus? Where are we? What happened?" a breathy voice asked, as Lucius desperately worked to calm himself.

"We're safe at Grimmauld Place. I brought you here to Potter to be healed. Some of the training that he's had centered on nerve and mind damage. I believe that we all forgot that it was his 17th birthday, and while he was in trance with you, he came into his inheritance."

"Is that why I feel like I've gone one on one with a dragon protecting her eggs?" Lucius questioned, finding himself starting to calm down.

"More than likely. Either from that or from what the Dark Lord did, but I'm more inclined to believe it was from the magical backwash we both went through, since I pretty much feel the same."

"Both of us?"

"He needed an anchor, and I was it."

"You always save him, don't you?" Lucius asked softly.

"Since before he was born. He only came to truly know that last summer though."

"Why?"

"When I found out that the Dark Lord was going after the Potter family after hearing part of the prophesy, it was out of love for one of my best friends. When he entered school it was out of duty to the life debt I owed his father. During his fifth year, I was forced to teach him to occlude his mind. During those lessons, I learned more about his home life then he ever wanted anyone to know, and that duty became more of a mission to protect him from those who he shouldn't have to fear," Severus explained.

"His family?"

"I at least had my mother to temper what my father was like. He had no one," Severus explained softly, knowing that Harry would never tell this information without being forced, and that Lucius would need to know it due to the bond that they all now shared.

Lucius shifted slightly, going over the new information about one Harry Potter. Sighing softly, he inclined his head in understanding of the trust just given him, on Harry's behalf. Feeling the small form draped partially over him stretch slightly and wiggle to curl up between himself and Severus, he chuckled, and the soft purr of contentment from the teen shocked him just a little. "He sounds like a cat," he said, letting one hand rub circles on the thin back.

"Complete with claws, and slitted eyes," Severus commented softly.

Grey eyes met black in astonishment. "He came into a creature inheritance?" he questioned. "Do you know what kind?"

Shaking his head, Severus allowed a small smile to play across his lips. "I have no idea, but I think that it won't be anything normal, considering who it happened to."

"Indeed."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer 1: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros, Bloomsbury. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Once again many thanks to Periculum for her beta work. Without her I'm sure everyone would be out for my head.

_**Chapter Five**_

~thoughts~

Harry woke slowly from a solid sleep, when a shaft of sunlight slanted across his face. Turning away from the light, he burrowed deeper into the surrounding warmth, and felt more then heard a soft chuckle. "He's awake, Albus."

"So I see, Lucius, so I see," he heard from further away. "Good morning, Harry."

Groaning slightly, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to go back to sleep, Harry twisted his upper body around to face the direction the headmaster's voice was coming from. "Morning," he grumbled before turning his head back to the darkness in front of him.

Another chuckle from the other side greeted this action, and a hand slid through to rest against his cheek, forcing his face back up to the light. "None of that now, it's past time that you were awake. Your friends are asking for you."

Opening his eyes to the sight of Lucius Malfoy, images from the night before played across his mind's eye. Sitting up completely, Harry ran a magical scan down the blond, asking questions all the way. "Are you alright, are you sore anywhere, what happened?"

"I'm fine, Severus has already dosed me with his potions, and you and the Dark Lord happened," Lucius replied, amusement glittering in his eyes.

"Me? What did I do?" Harry asked in confusion.

Severus sighed softly, and wondered how to break the news to Harry in a gentle manner, knowing that this was, to Harry's mind, just one more thing to set him apart from everyone else. "Do you remember ever being told about what happens when a powerful wizard comes into their inheritance?" he asked finally.

"Ron said that he felt sore and tired the day before and slightly drained the day after. Hermione said she felt the same way."

"And that is true for the regular witch or wizard," Albus answered, "but for the more powerful of our world, like yourself, the day you come into your inheritance becomes something even more. Instead of just the general day, it becomes the exact time of our birth. With the normal change in our magic also comes any creature inheritance as well."

"Wait, stop right there. Creature Inheritance? What creature inheritance? Did you go through the same thing?" Harry asked, clenching his fists in panic. A flash of pain against the palm of his hand had him looking down at his hands in surprise, flexing his hands he saw the inch long claws the tipped each of his fingers. "Dear Merlin, what have I become?" he finished on a whisper.

"We're not sure," Albus started to explain. "It's going to take some research into your family lines in order to find out what kind of creature blood existed within them. But no need to worry my boy, we'll figure it out," he finished, trying to reassure the young man.

Harry's uncertain gaze travelled between the two wizards sharing the sofa with him, begging for reassurance that what his family had called him all his life was not actually true.

Severus, seeing more than the other two did in the young man's eyes, gave Albus a significant look. "If you would be kind enough to start going through the information that you have at your disposal, Albus, we would greatly appreciate it."

"Of course, Severus, I'll do anything within my power to help. I will be off, but please, Harry, if you have any questions at all contact me. Lucius, Severus, I will be seeing the two of you at Hogwarts later this evening," Albus said in the way of parting.

As soon as the door shut firmly behind the headmaster, Severus had Harry's face cupped in the palm of his hands, insuring the teen could not look away. "You are not now, nor have you ever been a freak. I don't want to hear you ever refer to yourself in that way again. Those Muggles you grew up with were disgusting human beings, and nothing that they said to you was ever true."

Tears started to gather in Harry's eyes, and he let them fall. "How can you say that when we no longer even know what I am?" he cried.

"You are Harry. You always have been and always will be. It doesn't matter how anyone else in the world perceives you as long as your family and friends know who and what you are," Lucius said, coming to stand behind Severus and brushing one finger gently across Harry's cheek. "And before you ask, those that you lived with are not to be considered family. It's only those here that matter," he continued, before Harry could protest, laying one hand over Harry's heart.

Closing his eyes, Harry allowed himself to believe that these two men were correct, even if it was only for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes once again and nodded. "How do we figure out what exactly I have become?" he asked softly, his voice holding a very slight tremble.

Severus gave Harry one of his rare smiles, before caressing the face still held in his hands and stepping back. "We start by making a list of the attributes you now have, physical, mental and everything in between," he told Harry.

"Then we start going through books to find out what matches, while keeping an eye on any other changes that may come up," Lucius added, brushing his fingers along Harry's cheek once more and conjuring up a blackboard and chalk.

Harry allowed himself a moment of gratitude to these men, before giving himself a mental slap ~come on, Harry, keep it together.~ "I think the more people we have actually watching out for changes the better off we will be," he said softly.

Both men stopped and looked at him thoughtfully. "Only if you believe that is wise, Harry," Lucius commented softly.

"Only those who you trust completely, Harry, and I'm going to have to insist that they take a vow to keep all information learned to themselves. There's no reason to give the Dark Lord a way to get to you," Severus added.

Harry looked at them thoughtfully for a few minutes. "How many of the DA now know the two of you are spies?"

"Just those that were here when I brought Lucius in to be healed by you. All of them are still here, demanding to know how you are doing, and refusing to leave until they have spoken to you personally. They seemed to be under the impression that Albus would lie to them in order to get them to stop asking questions," Severus answered.

"You mean he wouldn't?" Harry said in annoyance, well aware of the Headmaster's schemes. ~ That means Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and more than likely the twins will still be here. ~ "How many Order members are in residence?" Harry asked, before Severus and Lucius could answer his previous question.

"Just the wolf, and maybe Shacklebolt and my niece," Lucius answered. "Draco is also here."

Rolling his eyes at the mention of Draco, Harry gave a single nod and turned towards the door, and stopped in surprise. "Wow."

"What is it?" Severus asked in concern.

"Nothing to worry about." Harry was quick to reassure the older wizard. "It's just that I could always sense the wards around this house due to the blood bond between it and all the Heads of the Black family, but now I can see them as well. The ones cast by the previous Heads are all different degrees of red, mine I know are blue, and it seems that the Headmaster's are green. He's warded the room so no one can enter until we let them in," he explained. "It's like reading a preschoolers' primer on colors, almost."

Lucius and Severus shared a long look and Lucius spelled the chalk to record the fact the Harry could now see magic, or at least the magic of wards. Severus just looked at Harry for a moment. "We're going to have to test you, to confirm how much magic you can actually see," he said quietly.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, and waved the wards away. His first step out the door caused a slight pain in his chest; the second one was worse, and by the fourth step Harry almost dropped to his knees, crying out in pain. Within seconds his friends had surrounded him, searching for the two wizards they thought were to blame for cursing him. Grabbing hold of the closest person, Harry directed them to help him back into the room he had just vacated. Each step closer eased some of the pain Harry was feeling, until he was finally able walk on his own, only keeping a hand on the other person's arm to keep his balance.

Entering the room in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione both had their wands pulled ready to curse the one that hurt their friend, only to find the two wizards already there in the same boat as Harry. Both were steadying themselves on items of furniture, faces twisted in pain. Glancing at each other quickly, Ron and Hermione rushed to help the older men onto the sofa, in time to see Harry reenter the room with the help of Draco and stumble his way onto the sofa and in between the two men.

Reaching out to establish physical contact between the three of them once again, Harry looked up to thank whoever it was that helped him back into the room, and met a concerned set of grey eyes. "Thanks, Draco," he said quietly. Leaning back into the soft cushions, Harry whispered, "What the hell was that?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I have an idea," Lucius muttered in turn.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Severus growled.

"Give me awhile to puzzle it out further," Lucius returned. Rotating the wrist that Harry held, he tried to get the teen to loosen his grip slightly. "Harry, if you continue to hold on that tightly, you're going to draw blood," he stated softly.

Gentling his grip slightly, Harry muttered an apology, but refused to break physical contact completely. Sighing softly, he finally looked up at the rest of the group. "I refuse to do that again. I don't care what anyone says, it's not going to happen again." He felt rather than heard Severus and Lucius agree.

"Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked, casting concerned glances at all three people on the couch.

"Yeah, Ron, I'm alright now."

"What happened to your eyes, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"And what exactly did my father mean when he said you were going to draw blood? I told you before; I won't allow you to hurt him, especially in my house." Draco added.

Harry snorted in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "My house, Ferret, get it right. You are not Lord Black, and if you keep annoying me like this, you'll never become even so much as the Heir to Lord Black. I do believe I told you last night that I wouldn't hurt your father, and I don't go back on my word. Besides, Luc is a big boy, I'm sure he can take care of himself, especially against me."

Shrugging his shoulders when he heard the dual snorts of amusement, Harry had to smile himself. "And what do you mean what happened to my eyes?" he asked Hermione.

Sharing an uneasy glance with the others in the room, Hermione cleared her throat. "Well you see, Harry…Well…Um… they're slitted, just like a cat's. Or maybe a snake's?" she finally managed, a slight questioning note in her voice.

Sighing, Harry released both older wizards and rubbed his eyes, noticing for the first time that he wasn't wearing his glasses. With a wave of his hand he added those two facts on the blackboard as well as the fact that he had claws. "Anything else the two of you didn't tell me earlier?" he murmured.

"No, I think that about covers it. Anything after this will be a surprise for all of us," Severus answered dryly.

Harry looked back up at his best friends and then glanced around the rest of the room. "Apparently I came into some kind of creature inheritance last night, but we don't know what kind. I would like your help in finding out what exactly I have become."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Warner Bros, Bloomsbury. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Thank you once again to Periculum…I'm really really not sure what I would do without you!

Chapter Six

In the week following Harry's birthday, no one had been able to pinpoint just what kind of creature inheritance he had received. Hearing Harry heave a heavy sigh, seconds before he dropped the latest book he had been attempting to read and bury his head in his arms in misery, Lucius gently brushed his hand across the nape of the young man's neck, instantly grounding Harry, and therefore stopping the magically conjured breeze that had started to swirl around the room.

"Thanks," he heard Harry mumble from the depths of his arms.

Nodding his head slightly in acknowledgement, Lucius continued to gently message Harry's neck while looking at Severus in concern. The uncontrolled magic that spread from Harry whenever his emotions changed had been something that they had discovered right quickly, and just as fast they had found out that himself and Severus with just a gentle touch could stop the leakage. It had, however, been growing stronger with time.

This was just another clue as to what the young man had become, but so far nothing seemed to fit. Looking over at the chalk board, he once more read over the pitifully few clues they had generated.

Harry's wandless magic had gone through the roof. Lucius had been surprised with the amount of wandless magic Harry could do before, but now, it seemed that anything Harry could do with a wand, he could do better wandless. It almost seemed that instead of his wand enhancing his abilities; it allowed him to hold back on how much magic he used - something that he was having trouble controlling when not using his wand.

Lucius had been even more surprised when the others simply took this in stride, shrugging their shoulders and continued on with their work. It had been Draco who had pulled him aside (under Harry's watchful eyes) before he could say anything that would upset Harry, and explained their reactions. The answer his son had given echoed through his mind every time they found out something new, and that the others seemed to never react to.

(flashback)

"_Father, we all expect the unexpected from Scarhead. We all know just how powerful he is. I knew every time I taunted him in the halls that I was playing with fire, and every time, I wondered if this time, would be the time he sent my flying, but I did it anyway."_

"_Then why do something so foolish?" Lucius asked._

"_Because if I didn't, someone who wasn't prepared for what he could do would have pushed him over the edge," Draco had responded with a shrug. _

"_Draco…"_

"_Look, I know it's not how a Slytherin works, but it needed to be done. The more he heard the taunts from me, the less likely he would be to respond to them from someone else. I've known since I first met him that my life could go in two different directions. I chose to follow him, even if it meant making myself into a target, so that he didn't hurt anyone else without just cause. It was the only thing I could think of to help keep all the magic he has at his disposal from over reacting. You know I've always been able to see auras and his…" Draco trailed off, shuddering slightly. "If he ever loses full control, the damage it could do would either kill him or break him, and I really don't want to know what would become of the rest of us, if that should happen."_

_Lucius had remained quiet as Draco looked over the group that surrounded Harry. "Even though they don't say it, the others know what could happen, and take steps to combat it. No one reacts the way you would expect when we learn something new about Harry, because if they did, it would alienate him even more than he already is. Deep down this scares the shit out of all of us, but letting him see that would break him almost more than it would if he lost control. We do what we have to in order to help him, regardless of what we may think," Draco finished his explanation, looking his father dead in the eye. "We protect him, while he protects us. Even if it means being his enemy."_

_Later that night, Lucius had related the conversation to Severus while Harry slept fitfully, and was not surprised when Severus merely nodded his head in understanding. "Draco is entirely correct. You heard Harry's reaction when he found about his inheritance. If he found out that the others were even remotely frightened of him, he would lock himself into his own mind, and never let anyone in. There is no way anyone would be able to break down his walls to get in to him again."_

"_So that's what we do then, bury everything that we feel so that he can feel better about himself?" Lucius demanded._

"_No, Luc, we give Harry the help and support he needs from us, and gather the same thing from those who know what's going on. Deal with what we feel away from where he can see it, and then when he's comfortable with the situation, we talk to him calmly. Make no mistake he'll figure out what we're doing and confront us all. But until he does, we don't say anything about it," Severus said, his eyes softening in understanding._

_(end flashback)_

Lucius was pulled from his thoughts by Hermione dropping a large book on the table and glaring around the room. "We have been going about this all wrong!" She exclaimed, eliciting small snorts of laughter from Ron and Harry.

"Where have we heard that one before, mate?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure, but first year comes to mind," Harry replied, throwing a lopsided smile at the girl in question.

"Ha ha, you two, very funny."

"Explain if you will, Miss Granger, just what it is that we are doing wrong," Severus sneered.

"What if, this inheritance wasn't actually passed down from within the family?" Hermione said, looking around the room. "What if this is something that happened to Harry that is just now taking effect?"

"Impossible," Lucius stated flatly. "I've never heard of anything of this sort happening before that wasn't passed down from somewhere within the family."

Harry leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Then it's entirely possible. After all, this '_is'_ me we're talking about."

"Exactly," Ron nodded along. "The impossible always happens to Harry, otherwise how do you explain the fact that he survived the killing curse?"

"Continue, Miss Granger, I would like to hear your thinking on the matter," Severus added, sending Lucius a slight shake of the head to stop him from responding.

"Well, if you think about it, it's really not that hard to explain. Harry's been attacked by different creatures every year, and they have all left behind some kind of mark. It's entirely possible that his magic has… mutated… for lack of a better word, and has melded together all of the characteristics of from those creatures and added them to his own genetic makeup."

Silenced settle around the group for a few minutes, as they all tried to come up with a reason to dispute Hermione's logic. Finally Harry sighed again, and looked down at top of the table, allowing his hair to fall forward to hide his face. "So I'm even more of a freak then we thought?"

Harry didn't have time to react as he was hauled out of his chair and punched hard enough to land him on his back. Ginny was standing over him, her eyes sparking in fury. "Don't ever let me catch you saying that about yourself again, Harry. You have never been a freak and you never will be. That is only the pitiful excuse for human beings that share blood with you talking," she hissed with deadly intent. "If I EVER hear those words from you again, or even see you think them, I will beat sense into you myself."

Rubbing his painful jaw, Harry looked wide-eyed around the rest of the room, and found matching expressions on everyone. Gulping silently, he meekly nodded his head. "Of course, Ginny, whatever you say," he said quickly.

Ginny watched Harry intently for a moment before nodding her head. "If you'll all excuse me," she growled, before stomping her way out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

Everyone watched as Harry slowly picked himself up off the ground, still staring at the door, before going back to the books they had been going through, all of them wondering silently if this would be the first step to Harry finally believing in himself.


End file.
